Traction device for vehicle wheels



Sept; 26 1939. s. L. WORTHING 2,174,345

TRACTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS Filed A ril 4, 195a iNVENTUR. S Zarzley L Worlhil'zy BY flak M4, 135

ATTORNEYS.

\ Patented Sept. 26, 1939 ,umrso sures PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to traction devices for vehicle wheels and its object is to provide an improved device of this character which shall be simple and economical in construction,

\ effective in operation and which may be'readily applied and adiusted to a vehicle wheel and as readily removed therefrom.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafterapp'earing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the illustrative structure particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is an outer side view of my traction device shown applied to an automobiles wheel;

Figure 2 is a sectional view (enlarged) of a portion thereof, taken on the radial line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a portion of the same, certain parts being broken away.

In these views my traction device is illustrated as appliedto the wheel of an automobile having the rim I and pneumatic tire 2. The device, as thus illustrated. comprises a central ring 3, a plurality (three being shown) of innermembers 4 having hooked inner ends 5 detachably receiving the ring along which they may be slid to adjusted angularly spaced positions, in this case to positions spaced 120 degrees apart, the device comprising also outer members 6 corresponding in number and angular position with the inner members 4, and comprising also means for adiustably connecting the members 4 and 6 as oooperating pairs.

The outer members having hooked outer ends 1 extending transversely over the curved outer side or tread 8 of the tire, the inner surface of these outer ends being concave to conform with the curvature of the tread. The means shown for connecting these inner and outer members 4, 6 of each pair comprises parallelly spaced radially extending flanges 9 formed on the outer face of the inner member 4, the operating lever I having an opening ll therethrough and a pivot pin of the lever far enough to removably seat tumably in a pair of notches I4 in said flanges, said means comprising also the inner end portion ll pairs with their connecting means I! whose opposite ends l3 extend from the edges k The edges 25 of the lever at the opposite sides of the opening ll extend intorecesses 26 in the corresponding edges of the outer member's said inner end portion it to limit the levers turning movement relatively to said inner end portion l5.

The device may beapplied to wheels of difier ent diameters by inserting the pivotpin It in the appropriate pair of notches l4, and as these notches extend toward the wheel and towards its rim, the turning of the lever to the operativeposition shown in the views tensions the device 31110141511011; to clamp said outer members 8 on e t e.

It will be seen that the following results are accomplished by this simple device; Any number of pairs of inner and outer members 4, 6 with their connecting means maybe used as desired or found advisable in particular cases, three such being shown in the views; these pairs may be spaced at desired angular distances apart, the hooked inner ends of the inner members 4 being slidable along the ring; the device is very readily applied at any time to the wheel, as by first positioning one of the pairsat the upper side of the wheel (Figure 1), which will thus hold the ring depending therefrom against falling, whereupon other pairs. as maybe desired, may be applied at desired angular distances apart; the inner and outermembers of each pair may be adjusted in relative position independently of the other pairs to accommodate peculiar or different conditions in din'erent angular portions of the tire, etc.; and when the device is applied, it is tensioned throughout and all its parts are supported by the tire only, so that when the device is applied to a pneumatic tire the air pressure therein acting with substantial uniformity throughout the tire's extent serves to maintainthe clamping of the device thereon in substantially a uniform degree through the tire's extent. 1

As illustrated, the hooked outer ends I of the outer members 6 have spaced ribs l8 extending transversely of the tire to add to the tractional eflfect oi the wheel and spaced ribs l9 extending in the wheel's circumferential direction to prevent sidewise or skidding movement; and the base 20 of these outer ends 1 has openings 2| therethrough between the ribs and is spaced, as by the ridge 22 of the tire, from the surface of the main part of the tire thus providing depressions or channels 23 therein, so that ice ordirt entering the spaces between the ribs may pass through said openings 2| and through like openings 24 and be discharged from under said hooked outer ends I.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claim, is not to be limited to or by details of construction and arrangement of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawing or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

A traction device of the class described for vehicle wheels, comprising: a ring; a plurality of anguiarly adjustable spaced inner members having hooked inner ends detachably receiving the ring slidably therein and having a pair of radially extending flanges with notches therein; a plurality of outer members angularly spaced correspondingly with said inner members, having hooked outer ends extending over the tread of the tire of the wheel and inner end portions with recesses in their opposite edges, the free ends of said portions extending through the hereinafter mentioned openings and having cross bars at their free ends behind the hereinafter mentioned levers; levers having openings therethrough and extending at the opposite sides of the openings into the recesses, and having pivot pins removably seating turnably in corresponding pairs of the notches, the levers when turned rearwardiy engaging at their rear sides the cross bars to hold said members in operative position.

STANLEY L. WOR'I'HING. 

